Survival Knives Guide

The knife is one of mankind’s oldest tools, and to this day it’s an important accessory to have with you out in the wilds. Whether you’re just going on a camping trip with the family or you’re heading up to the cabin to get some hunting done, you should never forget to bring a survival knife with you. However, there’s a lot of debate about what sort of knife is best for you to have. Fortunately there are some simple rules of thumb that you should keep in mind when browsing survival knives for your time in the wilderness.

First and foremost, avoid any sort of gimmick that comes with survival knives. They’re all over, ranging from hollow handles for storing matches to compasses on the back end of the knife. And it’s easy to get drawn into the gimmicks, especially the ones that look like something out of Rambo. But if you’re depending on your knife for survival, is a cheap compass really worth fouling your grip on the handle? You should always try to weigh the coolness factor of a given feature of a knife against the chance that would actually work way out in the wilderness away from everyone.

Also, when it comes to survival knives you want a knife that’s strong. That means your knife should have a full tang, if possible. The tang is the part of the blade that’s deep inside the handle. You see, there’s an extension to the metal of the blade that is surrounded by the handle, and this single piece is typically riveted in place for added strength and stability. The longer the tang the stronger the knife’s construction. If the blade is only connected at the hilt, then there’s a pretty good chance the knife blade will just snap off when you put it under real, hard work stress. Additionally, your blade should be thick enough to handle the stresses of chopping wood, cutting meat and all of the other duties that survival knives are expected to perform when it’s your main tool out in the wilds. 3 to 4 sixteenths of an inch is a good thickness. Lastly, you want to avoid any survival knives that have wobble or give in the blade. That’s a sign of trouble on down the line when you need it to work.

Survival knives and hunting knives

Pay close attention to the grip and the sheathe for your knife. Your grip should be solid and comfortable in both the forehand and backhand grip, and the knife should fit your hand well. A knife grip that’s too thick or too thin will be hard to hold onto when it comes time to use the knife. Also grips can be made of rubber or wood, with scales or without, so as long as the material is durable and comfortable it’s up to personal taste what you want your knife’s handle to be made of. As to your sheathe, you might not think it matters, but you need to be able to wear your knife comfortably so that you can draw it easily and carry it without trouble. Basic nylon sheathes are serviceable, but you should check for a sheathe that can be worn multiple different ways. A sheathe that can be worn on the thigh, hung from a belt or strapped to a backpack is ideal, as it gives you a number of different options for when you’re out in the woods.

Lastly, make sure that your survival knife is still a knife. 6 to 9 inches are really all you need for your blade, and anything beyond that starts encroaching on machete territory. Your knife should be a knife, and if it’s long enough to hack through jungle underbrush then you’ve gone a little too far. You should be able to chop wood, skin deer and accomplish a wide variety of tasks with a single tool… and if it gets too big, then you won’t be able to do many of the smaller but no less important tasks.